Automated storage systems are used for storing and retrieving relatively large amounts of information in digital form. One type of storage system includes one or more individual storage racks that are positioned adjacent to each other. With this type of system, each storage rack can include a storage rack housing, a plurality of cartridges retained in a plurality of tape receivers within the storage rack housing, a robotic cartridge handling mechanism and one or more tape drives. The robotic cartridge handling mechanism individually retrieves one of the cartridges from one of the tape receivers and places the cartridge within one of the tape drives.
Typically, a cartridge is retrieved by a transport assembly from a storage rack, and is transported to the tape drive. The transport assembly then remains stationary while the cartridge is in use. Following usage of the cartridge in the tape drive, the cartridge is typically fully rewound and is then ejected from the tape drive into the transport assembly. The transport assembly then returns the cartridge to the appropriate location within the storage rack, and proceeds to the next tape receiver to retrieve another cartridge to transport to the tape drive.
Unfortunately, these transport assemblies are not completely satisfactory. In particular, the typical cycle outlined above is a time-consuming process with a substantial downtime while the tape drive is reloaded with another cartridge. This transport cycle can have a duration of up to or in excess of ten seconds. This repeated process adds up to a substantial amount of time over the course of dozens or hundreds of such cycles that can occur in a single day. Spread over a month or a year, this can amount to many hours or even days of unproductive waiting time. Thus, excessive delays in transporting cartridges result in a significant decrease in throughput of the storage system.
In light of the above, the need exists to provide an improved transport assembly that transfers a cartridge from a storage rack to a tape drive. Another need exists to provide a transport assembly that significantly reduces the time necessary to reload the tape drive. Still another need exists to provide a transport assembly that minimizes movement of the transport assembly during a transport cycle. Yet another need exists to provide a storage system having improved efficiency, which is relatively easy and cost efficient to manufacture and utilize.